Devotion
by MarineBluez
Summary: Parents wish the best for their child, that's why Victor Nikiforov tries his best to be the greatest papa to his one and only printsessa in the world. "She grows stronger and more beautiful with each passing day" he sighs. "Oh how I wish you were here to see it with your own eyes…" Victor continues to watch over his little one playing in the snow. "…Yuuri." He breathes.
1. Life On-going

A/N:

Hi all! YOI has consumed my life.(٭°̧̧̧ω°̧̧̧٭)

This fict was born from a mind of obsession and impulse stemmed from reading fellow writers' fanficts and tumblr. Like to give thanks to hawa-chan, your fict "Everything is Going to Be Okay" inspired this brain.

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Winter in Hasetsu is warmer than that of Moscow's.

That's what is first registered in Victor's mind as the sliding glass doors part to make way for arrival passengers. He tugs at his muffler around the jawline, letting the cool air caress his face. _Ah~ how I loathe the stale cabin air._ Victor pouts as he followed the crowd towards the baggage claim area. As usual in Japan, everyone stands in an orderly line waiting patiently for his or her suitcase to glide pass on the conveyor belt.

While waiting for his belonging to arrive, Victor lets his eyes wander over the surrounding people. Most were in groups- families probably, with the occasional one or two duo pairs- young couples likely, all returning from the city and other parts of the country for annual family visits in lieu for the New Years.

Speaking of New Years… Victor grimaces. He hadn't been back for visits in over two months, not since he was held up by his job as the substituted head coach for the Russian national figure skating team. He felt a tinge of guilt but it couldn't be helped considering that he was the only one after the previous head coach who was familiar enough with the programme to coach. Yakov had been reluctant initially, but after enduring the tirade of Lilia's reprove on the latter further straining his slipped disk, he eventually gave in, letting the 33-year-old ex-skater to temporarily take up the reigns while he recuperated at home.

Victor couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he recalled the time when Yakov came to him all sullen faced to pass over the team schedule. _That Lilia really, till today I still can't believe that she remarried that old grumpy man. Yakov will never admit it, but he still can't help but behave like an obedient Ребёнок in front of her!_

He sighs and shakes his head, so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed his luggage, a medium sized silver suitcase with a brown poodle dog tag, approaching him. He immediately stepped out to grab it before the belt can even loop once more. Popping out the trolley handle, he pulled the suitcase along as he walked towards the arrival hall on the other side of the room.

* * *

 _The sky is getting darker_ , he noted when he exits the airport. He looked around hoping to catch a familiar figure waiting by the entrance. Seeing that there were none, Victor felt puzzled. He pulled out his phone from the inner pocket of his coat, reading the time to be 16:00 GMT+9 on the screen. With a quick swipe of the thumb, he opened up the key code. The moment he changed the mobile settings from airplane mode to normal, a flood of notifications came pouring in. Slightly flustered, he selects the first message to read.

[ _From: Okaa-san_

 _Message: Sorry Vi-chan! Our car had broken down earlier this afternoon. We won't be able to pick you up so make sure to be safe when taking the train later!_

 _P.S. Someone is really looking forward to your arrival, but I'm sure you can already guess who it is._ ]

The words were in Japanese but Victor had long since learned the language of his love by heart. Scanning through the rest of the messages, he smiled and quickly returned the phone into his pocket. With a spring in his step, he briskly made his way towards the nearest train station in sight.

* * *

The familiar sight of Yu-topia Hot Spring's entrance greets him as he skillfully maneuvered the wheels of his suitcase dragging along the snow-covered pathway. The sun had already long disappeared behind the mountains and the temperatures had plunged more than it did during the day. Victor wasn't feeling cold, partly the reason attributing to being used to his long-term exposures to the frigid Russian winters. But above all, he was exuberant.

Throughout those two lonely months, he had longed in his heart for this very day to come. Unbuttoning his coat and loosening his shoes out of restlessness, even before he made it through the shoji, someone else had already beat him in this battle of impatience. The sliding doors slam open with a loud thwack to reveal a young girl with a similar shade of silver hair as his standing in the doorway panting hard.

"Nicya, my printsessa. I'm home!" Victor throws his arms open wide with a giddy and enormous smile plastered over his face.

"Papa!" The little girl shrieks in delight before launching herself into her father's embrace.

Both father and daughter go tumbling onto the ground, but it didn't matter to Victor as the whole courtyard was suddenly filled with the joyful laughter of reunited bonds.

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Translations with credit to google translate (-ω-`_)

 _Ребёнок : child_

 _Shoji : tradional Japanese architecture, door_


	2. Nicola the Printsessa

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Nicola Nikiforov-Katsuki was a little angel, doted on by her caring Japanese family and even more so by her Russian father, Victor. Only at five years of age, she had the appearance of a sweet Disney princess (or as her father always insisted, his one and only little printsessa). Silver-gray locks that shimmered almost white in the brightest sunlight; deep russet coloured eyes that sparkled with life and pink soft lips ever so delicate to the touch gave the little girl a pure-like appearance, making it hard for people to ignore that very tug at their heartstrings when they meet her. Despite the excessive attention dedicated to the little one, Nicola by all means, was no spoiled child. By an even earlier age, she had grasped the understanding behind the extreme caring measures she found herself being bundled in.

She barely remembers it now, but from time to time she still recalls flashes of her mother's smile, the comforting embrace she felt as she was cradled against a soft yet strong chest beating a familiar heartbeat in tandem with her own as a tiny babe. Nicola would then feel a pang of sadness wash over her, knowing that those precious experiences would not soon repeat themselves in the couple of years to come.

When she was even younger, bursting out crying late into the night was the norm the moment she missed her dearest mother. Without fail, her sleeping father would startle awake to gently embrace his sobbing child, patting her hair down with his hand as he murmured soothing words in Russian to assuage the little one. Sniffling and nestled safely in her father's arms, exhaustion would slowly creep upon her. As her heavy eyelids begin to sink, the warm honey-like voice of her father would eventually fade off into the white silence, only to be choked back by a soft whimper of her mother's name being searched for into the darkness…

Nicola would eventually quell this habit whenever she saw her father in pain because of her. _Mama would probably feel sad if he saw how sad papa is being._ Thinking of her beloved parents, she made a silent promise to never again make her dearest papa feel down. After all his charming smiles were once treasures famed and admired by thousands under the spotlight.

As time went by, her father would be increasingly slumped with work commitments. Every now and then, his job would entail him to work overseas for long periods of time, only to leave her under the care of her maternal grandparents. As much as she loved her sweet grandparents, she told herself that she was now a big girl and by no means was she going to worry them with her nuisance. At night, whenever the familiar feeling of loss visited the young girl, Nicola would grasp tightly onto her favorite toy poodle, Makkachin, to keep her feeling secured throughout the night. She was a determined girl and by the time the dawn of light flutters through the curtains, she would be energetically up and about, invariably spreading her lovable smile upon her family members.

* * *

Besides her immediate relatives, Nicola also received the love and care from the people of the small southwestern town of Hasetsu. In the early hours of day, when she accompanied her aunt Mari to the local market, the obaa-chans and oji-chans tending to the stalls would greet her with a smile, sometimes even giving out free candy to the little girl. Nicola as taught by her grandmother, would politely thank them with a respectful bow before enjoying her treats.

Today like every ordinary day, she was following hand in hand with Aunt Mari to pick up supplies from the market. On their way there, a familiar set of trios could be seen ahead. They were none other than Nicola's favourite onee-chans, the Nishigori sisters, Axel, Lutz and Loop.

"Ara? If it isn't Nicola-chan and Mari-nee!" Axel immediately spots them as she turned around.

"You're right!" The other sisters chorused, jubilantly waving at them.

Nicola saw it and started to drag her listless aunt forward. "Good morning Axel-nee, Lutz-nee and Loop-nee!" She yelled excitedly, throwing her free arm into the air. The sisters, amused by the little princess's zealous display quickly teased her with light chuckles.

With a proud grin, Nicola revealed her secret to the sisters. Tonight was going to be the night where her father returns home from work in Russia! Hearing her, the sisters begin to share the same level of excitement especially when she told them about the small welcoming party to be held later in the evening. Of course she made sure to extend the invitation to the Nishigori family, and the sisters accepted it post-haste with wide grins. Conversing for a while, the group finally bided their temporary goodbyes as the sisters parted for school at the next traffic junction.

Watching the trio walk further and further away from them, the little girl couldn't help but feel a little bit disheartened. Slightly pouting, she fitfully wished of being a middle schooler from time to time so that she could easily walk alongside and chat more with Axel-nee, Lutz-nee and Loop-nee on their way to school.

The duo eventually continued on their way to the market. As they neared the bustling warehouses by the port side, Mari bent down to whisper into the little silverette's ear. "Hey Nico-chan, earlier on I managed to fish out extra cash for the party but I haven't got a clue on what we can make for food. Any ideas on what Victor-san would like to eat?"

Nicola scrunched her face as she pondered for a moment. _The food that her papa likes to eat at home…_

A sudden flash of the answer sparkled in her eyes.

Turning to her aunt, she beamed, "Katsudon!"

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Appreciate the review and tips I've gotten ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/


	3. The Future

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It is not openly written all over his face, but Victor worries about the future; specifically the lack of his ability to spend much of his time with his daughter. Not that Victor hates his job of being a part-time figure skating coach or so (after all the ex-living legend can never be parted from the ice), his schedule has since been packed all year round since the day he picked up coaching after retirement (though admittedly his popularity could have attributed to his past fame). His recent job endeavor had been one of the longest he's ever had, causing him to have missed out two precious months of little Nicya's childhood. On the same night upon returning, it surprised him greatly and left a little bitter pang in his heart when Nicola refused to sleep together.

Time. Time was always the source of the 33-year-old man's headaches. Victor got up from his bed and pressed his fingers against his temples. Next year will mark the year of the Winter Olympics, the year where his cute Russian protégés are given the biggest opportunity to compete head to head with other top players of the figure skating world. Yakov's condition had seemed to have a somewhat improvement, at least that was what he assumed when his ex-coach came barreling through the doors of the ice rink to chase him out. The older Russian man's complexion had been lively and his movements were as animated as a galloping horse. Victor decided that unless Yakov's condition was going to take its toll, he would return home in the meanwhile to take a break from coaching.

It was now nearing the end of the year. Victor felt a mixture of both happiness and uncertainty. Of course he appreciated the time now given to him to spend the New Year's with his precious little one, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled for the future. His little printsessa was going to be entering her sixth year of life on February, and by Japanese regulation she had to enter an elementary school by the following month of April.

 _Time passes by so quickly, I'm getting older by the years and stumbling over all sorts of problems I never had to worry about in my younger days. Till this day I sometimes do find myself in disbelief that it has been almost five years since you've been missing out in our daily lives…_

Victor spaced out into the distance, not noticing a small figure sliding open the door and slipping into his room.

A sudden collision around his neck shook him out of his stupor, the force so strong and unexpected that it knocked him off the bed together with it. "HA HA HA HA!" A merry laughter like the sound of spring bells greeted his ears as he pushed his torso up from the ground.

"Nicya! How could you tackle your poor father like a barbarian?" Victor flailed dramatically, pulling a mock sorrowful face with one hand clenched at his heart. "I'm hurt!"

Nicola collected herself from their tangle of limbs. Smirking triumphantly and arms akimbo, she stood over her disheveled father, "Papa! You promised to teach me ice-skating this weekend. Don't tell me you forgot!"

Victor blinked. "Ah, did I my sweet printsessa? I'm sorry, Papa is still very muddle-headed from his flight back from Russia so he forgot about it."

"But that was over a week ago!" She pouts, crossing her arms.

 _How cute, she looks exactly like her mother whenever she does that._

"Okay, okay. Papa is in the wrong here. In return, I'll do whatever you want for today!" Victor did a Japanese dogeza in apology.

There was a pause in the air before a small poke to his scalp was felt. Victor smiled, knowing that that it marked his daughter's reluctant sign of apology. He looked up to see her now puffing her cheeks and handing over a brush and purple scrunchies. "If Papa says so, then he first shall do my hair!"

Victor shook his head in incredulity before getting up to brush his dear daughter's lovely hair. He never could fight nor deny his little one. Tying her hair was equivalent to riding a bicycle; once learnt never forgotten. He nimbly gathered the shoulder length silk-like strands into a high bunch before setting it into place with the scrunchie in ease. Quickly checking for any stray pieces of hair, he determined his piece of work to be of perfection and held up a mirror for his 'satisfied customer' to admire. Said 'customer' grinned widely before giving her thumbs up of approval.

* * *

"See you later Obaa-chan, Oji-chan!" Nicola called from the doorway before rushing out to meet with her waiting father. Victor reflexively stretched his hand out to hold onto her gloved palm. Together, both father and daughter began making their way towards the sea bridge leading to Ice Castle Hasetsu.

As they crossed the bridge, making sure to greet the usual fishing locals, Victor's eyes drifted over to his right, lazily spying the rising sun that reflected shards over the blue pristine waters. "Ne Nicya, do you miss papa whenever he has to leave for work?" He let his voice drift downwards to his daughter.

There wasn't a reply, so Victor looked down. Nicola had her face covered in her scarf so he could not see her expression. Her small footsteps started to stall so Victor stopped in his tracks, hunching down to hold both of her hands in concern. "What's wrong?"

"I…I don't like it when papa leaves for long. Whenever you don't come back, it makes me think of mama as well. I miss mama a lot too…" Nicola sniffed into the cloth wrapped around her cheeks.

That was the breaking point. Victor's face rumpled and he immediately shrouded the trembling girl into his embrace, letting her be comforted by his warmth. Nicola didn't resist, letting her face be buried into the bosom of her father's parka. No words needed to be exchanged between the two. A mutual level of telepathic understanding was shared by touch. Victor stroked the back of his daughter's head, just like he always did when she was younger.

A minute or two was all that was needed before they separated. Gripping onto the baby-sized hand as compared to his, Victor gave a small smile and nodded ahead. "Let's go."

* * *

Learning to stand on the ice let alone skate was harder than she expected. Nicola clutched desperately onto her father's sleeve for support. Legs shaking laterally, she looked as if she were a newborn fawn learning its first steps.

Victor gave a hearty laugh and led her by the hands across the ice. Yuuko who was on counter duty that morning had been kind enough to loan Nicola a pair of children's ice skates. "Our rink house specialty let's first timers get the free-of-charge service!" She sang as she picked out an adorable pair of pink skates after measuring her feet size.

It was still early when they arrived so not as much of the weekend crowd was currently utilizing the facilities. Victor was glad that he might even get the chance to show off some of his moves to impress his little one.

"Papa!" Nicola cried out in alarm, now with one arm wrapped up his forearm. "Not so fast! I'm scared."

"Don't be afraid Nicya, the ice is your friend and you are the ice's friend. Friends are there to support each other, trust in it and you will not fall."

Nicola bit into her lip, her face nervous but her eyes not betraying her blazing resolve. Slowly, she released her grip from her father's. It was a small step, but a huge accomplishment in her father's viewpoint. The sight of his beloved printsessa skating forward on her two feet almost brought tears to his eyes.

 _She has potential. I wouldn't be surprised if she even wanted to become a figure skater in the future._

Victor continued to watch over his little one, now even attempting to stop on the ice by instinctively bending her knees and pushing the flat of the blade against the ice.

 _Children will one day learn to move on their own. As desirable as that sounds, I'm not yet quite ready to let this moment go._

 _I'm sure you think so too… Yuuri._

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Translations:

dogeza: Japanese way of kneeling by bowing and touching one's head to the floor (basically what yuuri did as apology after poking victor's head in episode 4)

A/N:

Thank you very much for the support! Now some of you may be wondering about the status of our main character Yuuri. Don't worry he's not dead, otherwise I would have labeled this fict with an angst/tragedy tag. As for the part he'll play in this story, you'll find out soon.

(If this chapter had already left you an experience of malaise, I do apologize. The next one probably wouldn't be that depressing.)

See you next time~ _(-ω-`_)


	4. A New Year Wish

**_A_ /N:** In case you haven't realised this, the story would contain traces of mpreg and omegaverse elements, although I wouldn't be going into too much detail about it. If those topics aren't your cup of tea, then I suggest you read other ficts perhaps. ( Oh please what am I saying, the whole YOI fandom is desperate for more Victuuri right? )

Anyways thanks for the support, enjoy ~

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31/12/2021 《New Year's Eve》

"Тогда я позвоню тебе позже. Позаботьтесь наступающим Новым годом и мама."*

Victor's voice could be heard resounding along the walls of the corridor ahead. Mari slowed her steps, not wanting to appear obvious that she had overheard the conversation. It was thanks to her brother-in-law living with her family that she now could more or less understand some basic russian words.

 _Mother huh..._ Mari frowned. Victor rarely mentions about his own family, so at times she forgets that the enigmatic Russian man had another dulcet side to his already obscure private life. Just how long has it been since Victor moved into Hasetsu? Seven years? Six years? No five years officially after Yuuri and him finally decided to return home after a good half year of no contact upon the skater-coach duo clinching the gold medal at the 2017 Grand Prix Series. She fondly remembers the day when the whole country was held at the very edge of their seats as their 'national hero' valiantly fought his way through quart jumps after jumps without a single mistake. Her heart almost leapt out of her mouth when the japanese annoucer revealed the scores. Before she knew it her little brother; the one she was so familiar with as a klutz since young had somehow emerged to mark a distinct milestone in Japan's figure skating history. As much as she refused to admit it, it teared her up when she and the rest of the folks back at Yu-topia witnessed the crowning of the new champion as he was enveloped by the crowd's cheers and the biggest glomp ever by the proudest ex-champion-now-coach at that moment.

Mari's usually expressionless face broke into a slight uplift as the next scene of a heavily pregnant Yuuri with an apologetic smile appearing at their doorway with the equally guilty father in tow re-played in her head. Her parents and her were never one of surprises. From the constant affectionate gazes and touches they've witnessed between the two be it in private or even on national television, it was hardly shoking to them that the youngest Katsuki would elope with his russian lover and even getting himself expecting in the process.

Now reality had shown that omegas were mostly looked down upon with scorn in society. Be it work or studies, they were usually seen to be leaning toward the inferior end of the scale in terms of quality and effort, thus subsequently being picked upon by others. However, when Yuuri had presented as one, rather to conceal their child's biology like many other parents would, her parents instead chose to celebrate his uniqueness with joy and happiness. Yuuri's relationship with Victor came easy to accept with the Katsukis, however the same couldn't be exactly said for Nikiforovs. Till this day, Mari still had no idea whether Victor's parents were truly happy about the fact that their only son had left home to bond with an omega, and a male one to boot. (Heck she didn't even know whether they were aware of the fact that their precious son had already sired the next generation of their family line!)

The pair's marriage was officially registered by the Japanese marriage municipal governmental office in Hasetsu within a week of their return, and by the next month, a new chapter of life was awaiting for them to be opened.

In the maternity ward of the local general hospital, a healthy baby girl was born to the elated couple on the 14th of February. They named her Nicola, the feminine form of the name Nicholas - meaning the victory of the people.

In her thirties and still unmarried, Mari couldn't even begin to comprehend the difficulty of the early child-raising years. Her cute niece had been such a handful, crying all night long whenever she was hungry, hot, tired or even for the simplest of reasons like searching for human contact. As much as the seemingly overflowing talent and charm Victor possessed... when it came down to the fresh experience of fatherhood, he was astoundingly close to ineffective.

No matter how much he tried to shush his wailing baby by rocking her around, Nicola kept up with her protest (same results were experienced with the grandparents when they sometimes took over baby-caring duties). It was only Yuuri that could effectively comfort his child, pulling her safe and sound against his chest and slowly bringing her back into the lull of sleep. Once again, her brother's never ending capabilities served to impress this proud sister of his.

It had been the perfect start to the new chapter. A famous father with a tender heart for his family, an equally as comparable mother in terms of skills and affection, and a beautiful daughter that physical (and hopefully mentally) inherited both of her parents traits to complete the picture. This slice of an ideal family would have continued without kink if it had not been for the accident that stole away that happiness from them.

Her brother had been unfortunate to borne the brunt of the tragedy.

The mishap had spared both father and daughter but not the mother, leaving Yuuri to remain in a camatose-like state since that fateful day.

Victor had been utterly devastated, often blaming himself for his mistake of not properly protecting his beloved mate. Without his wife by his side, the usually cheerful man was lifeless for months upon months to come, often neglecting his duties as a devoted papa to his little one.

The plight of watching her cute niece grow up without a motherly figure and a distracted father to rely on stirred the concerned hearts of Mari and as well as that of her parents. Her father took matters into his own hands and a night of a hard talk over alcohol apparently did the trick of snapping the despaired father out of his wallowing stupor. The devoted papa of Nicola's today was the product of that reality check and resilience. However, no matter how much Victor dedicated his all to become the greatest father in the world, it still didn't change the fact that Nicola was still missing a mama in her life. The more Mari thought, the more her loose expression started to hardern into a frown.

Swiftly, she walked round the corner only to be met with the side profile of Victor's form, still clutching his phone in one hand and gazing blankly into the direction of the moonlight cascading through the glass window panes. Mari tried her best to ignore the awkward atmosphere it set and attempted to revert back to her usual laid-back self. She cleared her throat once and coughed.

"Victor, the soba is ready. Nico-chan and the others are still waiting for you to join them." She called over to him.

He blinked out of his trance, appearing almost vulnerable like a lost child for a second before his face morphed back into his signature grin that spoke only of his usual confidence. Turning to Mari, he smiled, "Got it, be there in a moment."

* * *

"Nicya, if you don't eat your green onions, you'll never be able to grow up tall and pretty like papa."

Nicola whined, "But onions are for big poeple, and besides only girls can be pretty, not boys like papa!"

Victor's eye gave a small twitch. Smilingly, he said, "Well only big people like papa who finish their vegetables can be pretty. Is my little printsessa not a big girl as well? If so then I don't think she can visit the shrine later cause staying up pass curfew is for big girls only~"

Nicola gulped. She certainly was a big girl now and big girls finish their food and could stay up late. She sure did not want to stay home later. Hurriedly, she picked up her chopsticks (while pinching her nose in her other hand) and started to shove in the leftover greens into her mouth.

"Oya, our Nico-chan is eating her vegetables? Well done!" Nicola's obaa-chan commented while clapping her hands in delight. Victor gave a triumphant smirk as he watched his daughter furiously attempt to chomp down on her leftover vegetables as fast as possible. "Take your time, there still an hour till we leave."

"Hamfh!" Nicola's incomprehensible reply could be heard behind her stuffed cheeks. Her cute antics left a chorus of chuckles coming from her family sitting around the kotatsu table.

 _'...clear skies can be expected for the next 24 hours throughout the area, so everyone's Hatsumode can be expected to go on without hitch...'_

The news channel's weather forecast played through the radio sitting by the table feet.

"Vi-chan, do remember to dress Nico-chan warmly before you leave as the late nights can get really cold at times." Obaa-chan reminded them.

Victor nodded while helping to wipe the soba stains off his dear printsessa's face. "Don't worry okaa-san, I'll be sure to do that later."

Reassured, she stood up to collect the empty soba bowls from the table. "Alright, obaa-chan will now be going to tend to the customers staying overnight. Nico-chan, be sure to give my share of prayers later."

"Okay!" Her granddaughter beamed widely.

* * *

The nearest shrine was located at least a good twenty minutes on foot from Yu-topia. Afraid that his little printsessa would tire out before her first shrine visit of the year, Victor carried her on his back for at least half the journey there. "So what will you be wishing for?" Victor curiously asked his daughter as she was let down his back nearing the shrine gates.

"It's a secret, so I can't tell you!"

"Aw come on, why can't you tell papa first? I pinky promise not to tell anyone else."

"Nu-uh!"

"Pretty please?"

"No means no!"

"...Fine..." Victor sighed in defeat. Boy was she growing up fast. He definitely wasn't going to be mentally prepared for his dear daughter's teenage years to come.

The shrine was fairly crowded when they arrived, busting with activity as locals in the area hung around to wait out for the approaching new year. After washing their hands at the fountain and picking out a good spot to wait, the handsome father and daughter pair started to realize the excess attention being directed at them from the people around. A couple of young to middle-aged women started to approach the older Russian to request for autographs and photographs (they likely were old fans of the ex-skater), and the older ones approached the younger one to pat her, pinch her cheeks or praise her for her adorableness. Thankfully, before matters went overbearing, the crowd around them dispersed the moment when the PA system announced the start of the countdown to begin soon.

Victor let out a breath of relief. It sure took time to readjust back to being used to dealing with the overwhelming attention again. He tightened his grip round Nicola's hand and looked down to see his daughter reappear from hiding behind his legs. Seeing her already weary face, he immediately scooped up the unprotesting child into his arms to let her rest against his shoulder. Nicola snuggled comfortably in her father's embrace as they both turned to look towards the direction of the lights.

"10, 9, 8..." the crowd begin to chant excitedly.

"Cold?" Victor shifted her weight onto one arm and used the other to adjust her coat collar. Nicola just shooked her head and continued to stare ahead.

"4, **3, 2, 1**!"

All at once, the sound of heavy bells ringing in the distance echoed all around the compound. Covering her ears, Nicola laughed merrily as the drove of people behind started to move and push them forward.

The footsteps stalled when the mass met with the bottleneck jam at the front. Victor carefully shielded his daughter from the rough and tumble of the moving crowd with his broad back when they slowly shuffled up. Nearing the offertory area, he took out two coins, giving one to her while still holding onto his. With light tosses, both their coins flew into the box ahead and simultaneously, Nicola and her father bowed towards the enshrined god before making their respective wishes in their hearts. Two claps later and Nicola was led by the hand away from the hustle of the other fellow prayer makers.

"Papa, what is that?" Nicola intriguingly pointed towards a hut selling shrine goods at the side.

Being the Japanese culture lover he is, it took less than a second for Victor to recognise the object of Nicola's curiousity. A twinkle in his eyes could be seen as he then led her towards it.

* * *

1/1/2022 《New Year's Day》

Well past midnight, the two were busy making their way back home. Instead of feeling exhausted, Nicola instead was skipping energetically with a jubilant expression plastered all over her face. In one hand, she clasped onto a newly bought omamori dedicated for family. Her papa had promised her that he'll be bringing her to visit mama in the hospital so that she could give it to him. Haven't been able to see her mama in months, it wasn't surprising that the little five-year-old soon to be six would be filled to the brim of anticipation and delight. Under the occasional street lamps lighting their way from above, Nicola continued to admire the intricately etched charm nestled in her palm.

 _I hope that mama would wake up soon so that we can be one big family again._

Her silent wish echoed in her mind. Happily, she tucked the amulet into her pocket and continued to walk side-by-side with her papa.

 _I can't wait for that day to come!_

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 **Translations: (with help from google)_(-w-`_)**

 _*Then I'll call you again later. Take care and happy new year mama._

 _Kotatsu: a low wooden table with a heavy blanket on top and a built in heater underneath_

 _Hatsumode: first shrine visit of the year in Japan_

 _Omamori: a Japanese lucky charm_

 _..._

 _._

Thanks for reading, see ya soon~


	5. The Visit

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10 Jan 2022

Victor was a talented man, both on ice and on land, and it was no wonder that the russian was often being seeked out by others. Unsurprisingly, he got calls from eager students from time to time, giving him a series of mixed feelings. Of course he felt elated of his constant popularity, but the sweetness came with a bitter aftertaste; it also made him feel frustrated at times when he found himself torn between his work and private commitments. Presently, he longed to be able to fully kick-back and relax, but when the calls refused to quit, he couldn't help but feel overly stressed about it.

 ** _'_** ** _Ring~ Ring~'_**

Victor didn't even need to take the briefest glance at his phone to know that it was another hopeful out on the parole for his coaching wisdom. He picked the vibrating device up and without even meeting eyes with the screen, switched it off and chucked it back into his pocket, finally silencing the 'devil' of cascading notifications.

Without much thought, he let out a soft sigh.

"What's wrong papa? Is it your work again?" Nicola looked up from her seat, brows furrowed in concern.

Victor broke out a small sweat. "Oh no no no, my dear Nicya, it's...it's just your great-uncle Yakov's complaining about his back again!"

Hearing that, her eyes widened, "Oh my, then papa should have told him to take care!"

His daughter's genuine display of concern managed to tickle his funny bone and he ungracefully let out a snort of laughter.

"Papa!"

Victor wiped away a tear and gave an affectionate pat on her head. "What a good daughter I've raised that cares so much for others. You make both me and your mama so proud."

Nicola was still unconvinced by her papa's avoidance of the subject and continued to pout, however in the inside, her heart was already glistening in sparkles. She absolutely loved it when anyone and especially her papa was praising her, but when it came down to her mama doing the same, it had to be the best feeling on earth, no in the entire universe to her!

Seeing the little printcessa continue to pull a crossed face at him and yet subconsciously kick her legs over the seat in her flourish of hidden delight, Victor couldn't help but break out into another amused chuckle. Just like how the first rays of the glowing sun broke through the aftershower of clouds, his previous worries were momentarily dispersed and forgotten in that frame of time.

 _'_ _Next stop: Shinjuku. The doors are to the right. Change here for the following lines…"_

Victor helped his daughter down from her seat and ushered her in the direction of the train doors. "We need to catch another line here so make sure you stay close to papa when we're walking later." He warned.

"Un!" Nicola nodded and tightened her grip around her papa's hand. Soon not long after the announcement, the train rolled into the station and gradually came to a complete stop. The doors slid opened with a soft mechanical squeak and father-daughter pair promptly stepped out of the carriage to join the afternoon crowd moving onto their next stop.

* * *

Their destination was found in the uptown district of the city. Through a sheltered alleyway, they turned onto a paved lane to be greeted with a surprisingly tall modern white and glass paneled building. Cradling onto a bouquet of fresh camellias in one arm, Victor held onto his daughter's hand and they both entered the rather imposing structure.

Once inside however, they were greeted with quite the alternate sight. In contrast to the rather anodyne exterior, the building's foyer was decked in the luscious green of an indoor themed garden. Plants in square grey planters were placed strategically across the hall and vines wrapped themselves up around pillars, having their tendril ends exposed and hanging from the high ceiling. A Japanese koi pond shaped in the figure 8 laid in the middle, with an elegant wooden crescent bridge spread across the clear surface to complete the refined decor. Even the pathway they followed to get to the reception desk located at the back of the lobby was lined with a series of vertical trays of clover and moss growing along the walls, giving the impression of walking through a cubical green cavern in the daytime as filtered light was reflected in from the clear glass vaulting above.

A couple of staff personnel docked in a light blue ensemble could be seen hurrying about their way in the background, but it was the other people around that revealed where the duo were.

Resting on available lounge chairs or pacing about aimlessely were mostly couples of young and old chatting amongst themselves. Just by looking, Nicola couldn't tell of anything perculiar about them. However, it was the few single persons sitting and waiting by themselves did recognition hit her when she passed them along the way.

They were omegas. At least the majority of them with the occasional alpha and betas around, most likely there to accompany their partners. Seeing the large number of them congregated in the lobby and seemingly to be waiting, their location could be easily inferred by.

Victor and Nicola were none other than at _K_ hospital, a hospital in Tokyo that was renowned for it's omega gynecology and obstetrics care. Rather popular with the masses of neglected omegas, it was one of the answers to many frustrated and desperate calls for help.

Established by a renowned medical pioneer in the last decade, the hospital was located in the heart of the city, yet still secluded enough from the regular public to provide a degree of privacy. Despite of its fair inconvenience traveling wise, it was still frequented by a regular flow of patients, even though they were none near the size of those of the larger hospitals. Even though their manpower was also on the short side, consisting of only a 1,500 strong staff population, they were still all well trained and disciplined, working round the clock to offer the best of service to their patients so as to match up to their high standards of function.

Since the turn of the century, the soaring cost of living and developing focus of livelihoods to be centered around careers had resulted in the growth of a modern phenomenon. It had hit Japan hard, which saw to the inevitable and rapid fall of the country's birthrate statistics as a result. In lieu to mitigating the population decline problem, the government had made additional efforts, apart from the usual creation of more pro-natal policies, into improving the omega rights and support hoping that their favor would help turn the tide of the worrisome situation.

As a result of the effort, hospitals throughout Japan that provided omega healthcare were being supported by numerous investments made by the government and interested private organisations alike. In the case of _K_ hospital, the auxiliary aid provided gave the proud force the opportunity to be up-to-date with the latest technology of medical amentities and equipment, enabling them to be able to expand into other successful omega healthcare studies and treatment practices.

In the couple of years that marked the institution's exponential climb to glory, new departments were constantly being set up by the ambitious leaders of the staff that were eager for recognition in the medical field. One such hopeful was a somewhat eccentric individual named Dr Kojima Justin that headed the neurological research division, which notably experienced much triumph in copious works.

To Victor, his first impressions of the half-american doctor was one that labeled him to be quite the odd fellow. So much as russian could recall, he was largely part of the reason why the Katsukis took monthly trips to downtown Tokyo every year. A vivacious voice followed by a relatively annoying laugh, the man had pestered Victor for over six months, persuading him perpetually to no ends.

Shaking his head, Victor quickly erased that atrocious recollection of the past while he familiarly filled up the visitor registration form. He showered the receptionist nurse-on-duty a charming smile when he handed back the paper to her. _Ah, old habits die hard._ He watched as the young woman blushed pink around her cheeks and speedily fixed her gaze downwards to the computer screen out of embarrasment. "S-sir, pl-please wait for a mo-moment for the n-nurse guide o-on duty to come lead you the way." She stammered while gesturing towards the cushioned seats where the other patients were waiting at.

"Thank you." He grinned and watched in entertainment as the young lady broke out into another crimson bloom.

"Papa's a meanie for teasing girls like that." Nicola huffed as they waited for the nurse assigned to guide them to arrive.

"Ha, ha. This is the power of being good-looking, I wonder when my dear Nicya will ever become as beautiful as papa?"

"Didn't I tell papa before, being pretty is for girls!"

Victor cunningly smiled and continued to tease her. "Is that so? But mama is boy and is mama not as pretty as well?"

Nicola stalled. "Tha…That is…but…" She rumpled her brows in a mix of confusion and confliction as she paused to process her refute. On the side, the challenger looked on pompously.

Finally, she scrunched her fists round the edges of her dress. "Mama is mama!" She gave her final of declaration and turned her head away.

 _I really can't win against my little printsessa can I?_ Victor exhaled and sunk back into the cushions.

 _"…_ _hey…isn't that Victor Nikiforov?"_

 _"_ _..who?"_

 _"…_ _you know the russian figure skater?"_

Victor ears picked up on some voices coming from behind him.

 _"_ _What you'd say?! Where?"_

 _"…_ _over there…."_

 _"_ _What where?...I don't see him…"_

 _"_ _..the silver haired one sitting near the counter…"_

 _"_ _Oh MY GOO-"_

 _"_ _Shhh! He'll hear you!"_

 _"…_ _is that really him?!"_

Discreetly as possible, Victor angled his head on the hand propped up on the back cushions so as to let his vision, out of the corner of his eye to rest on the excited couple whose failed hushed exchanges be unfortunately caught by him.

 _"_ _I'd never thought that I'll be able to witness the living legend out of TV! I can't believe my luck!"_

 _"…_ _I can't believe my eyes too. But I wonder what he is doing here anyways…isn't this a hospital for omegas?"_

 _"_ _You mean you haven't been following the articles? They that the reason for his second disappearence from the competitive scene was because he had eloped with an omega..."_

 _"_ _What! How come I've never heard of this…"_

 _"…_ _was supposed to be a rumor…but seeing him here has managed to confirm my doubts…"_

"Papa, what are you looking at?"

Victor returned his gaze to his daughter and pressed his finger his mouth, indicating for silence and quickly went back to eavesdropping.

 _"…"_

 _"…_ _you think he heard us?"_

 _"_ _no…don't think so…"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _What should we do? Shall we approach-"_

"Papa! Quit looking at them!" This time Victor felt a tug on his sleeve vying for his attention.

 _"…"_

 _"…_ _what… papa?..that little girl…"_

 _"…_ _that can't be…then it's true that he really did…"_

 _"_ _..stop it already…I think he has already heard us."_

Victor gave an inward groan, knowing that the ruse was up. Thankfully, before they could potentially meet with an awkward situation, he heard his name being called and looked up to see a middle aged nurse of stocky stature waiting by the elevators. "Come on, let's go." He took Nicola's hand with him and proceeded onwards. On the way, he glanced over to take a proper look at the owners of the previous chatter.

They were the picture of any normal japanese household couple, the husband in a suit and tie, most likely having dropped by from work, and the wife with a mellow appearance sitting on his left. Looks could definitely fool. If Victor had never unintentionally picked up on their conversation, he would never had thought of them to be the gossiper types. Although his face didn't show it, the concerns in his heart started to take flight again. If it was one thing he avoided now more than he did in the past with relish, it was none other than the rest of the world rediscovering his private life which he presently obscured from prying eyes.

His grip hardened and Nicola watched her papa's face. Victor was a master at concealing his true feelings with a smile, but seeing the one now shown on his face as he greeted the nurse ahead, the only one in the world who knew of his real emotion in that moment was that very little girl in his presence.

* * *

It was quiet as they were led through the empty hallway. The guide nurse had reminded them to keep as silent as possible when they got off the elevator as it was around the nap time for many of the stay-in patients. They continued to pass door after door that looked similar to the next one after next. A first-timer visitor had to be daunted with the almost maze-like structure, however to Victor who had visited the place endlessely for years, he could comfortably pinpoint many of the rooms.

As much as he would like to be able to find the room he most frequented by himself, the hospital policy only allowed the alphas and betas to enter the patient ward if there was a chaperoning staff to lead the way.

Soon, the trio stopped before a wide tawny brown door at the second turn to right down the corridor.

"Then Mr Nikiforov, I'll be waiting outside once you are finished." The stocky nurse replied while checking her watch.

He nodded his head and thanked her. Clasping onto the cold metal of the sleek knob, he pulled the sliding door open and stepped inside with his daughter, making sure to close it behind him.

The room they entered was painted in a cool grey and white. With special permission, Victor had managed to furnish the space to resemble much like his own cosy apartment back in Russia. The only exception that differed from the room of his memories was the wall opposite the bed that held a series of hand drawn crayon pictures plastered all around.

Nicola had long released her hand from his own and ran to the supine figure on the bed ahead that was still being concealed by a curtain that appeared translucent against the incoming sun's glimmer. Victor slowly approached them while letting his hand drift along the wall that showcased the collection of his dear Nicya's artworks from over the years. By the looks of it, it seemed like she soon was going to be running out of space to place her new drawings on.

Stopping by the bed, he took a deep breath and reached for the velvet screen. He pulled it back to first see his daughter having amazingly climbed onto the bed on her own and was resting her cheek against the figure's chest. He then let his eyes wander up to the face of the sleeping beauty who his little printsessa was currently hugging onto.

A myriad of words and feelings passed through his mind in that split second of time.

 _Friend. Lover. Partner. Mother. Yearning._

He had a thousand of words to say, a thousand of emotions to express, but for that moment only, there was only one that prevailed over the rest.

"Yuuri."

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 **A/N:**

This be quite the late chapter, and for that I apologize! Thank you for the support as always! (hopefully the next chapter comes out soon)

See ya next time~ _(-ω-`_)


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